A
My daddy left home when I was three
D
And he didn't leave much to ma and me
E A
Just this old guitar and an empty bottle of booze
A
Now I don't blame him cause he run and hid
D
But the meanest thing that he ever did
E A
Was before he left he went and named me Sue
A
Well he must o' thought that is quite a joke
D
And it got a lot of laughs from a' lots of folk
E A
It seems I had to fight my whole life through
A
Some gal would giggle and I'd get red
D
And some guy'd laugh and I'd bust his head
E A
I tell ya life ain't easy for a boy named Sue
A
Well I grew up quick and I grew up mean
D
My fist got hard and my wits got keen
E A
I'd roam from town to town to hide my shame
A
But I made a vow to the moon and stars
D
That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars
E A
And kill that man who gave me that awful name
A
Well it was Gatlinburg in mid-July
D
And I just hit town and my throat was dry
E A
I thought I'd stop and have myself a brew
A
At an old saloon on a street of mud
D
There at a table dealing stud
E A
Sat the dirty mangy dog that named me Sue
A
Well I knew that snake was my own sweet dad
D
From a worn-out picture that my mother'd had
E A
And I knew that scar on his cheek and his evil eye
A
He was big and bent and gray and old
D
And I looked at him and my blood ran cold
E A
And I said My name is 'Sue ' How do you do
Now you gonna die
A
Well I hit him hard right between the eyes
D
And he went down but to my surprise
E A
He come up with a knife and cut off a piece of my ear
A
But I busted a chair right across his teeth
D
And we crashed through the wall and into the street
E A
Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer
A
I tell ya I've fought tougher men
D
But I really can't remember when
E A
He kicked like a mule and he bit like a crocodile
A
I heard him laugh and then I heard him cuss
D
He went for his gun and I pulled mine first
E A
He stood there lookin' at me and I saw him smile
A
And he said Son this world is rough
D
And if a man's gonna make it he's gotta be tough
E A
And I knew I wouldn't be there to help ya along
A
So I give ya that name and I said goodbye
D
I knew you'd have to get tough or die
E A
And it's the name that helped to make you strong
A
He said Now you just fought one hell of a fight
D
And I know you hate me and you got the right
E A
To kill me now and I wouldn't blame you if you do
A
But ya ought to thank me before I die
D
For the gravel in ya guts and the spit in ya eye
E A
Cause I'm the son-of-a-bitch that named you Sue '
A
I got all choked up and I threw down my gun
D
And I called him my pa and he called me his son
E A
And I came away with a different point of view
A
And I think about him now and then
D
Every time I try and every time I win
[No Chords]
And if I ever have a son I think I'm gonna name him
A (keep strumming)
Bill or George Anything but Sue I still hate that name